Safety

Industry Involvement

In 2004, MYR Group entered into the Electrical Transmission & Distribution (ET&D) Strategic Partnership agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), six other electrical contractors, and the IBEW, NECA and EEI; with a primary objective of improving worker safety in the high-voltage electric line construction industry. To date, growth of Partnership member organizations has nearly doubled, and the Partnership agreement with OSHA has renewed and expanded in 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2013. Today, the ET&D Strategic Partnership is one of only a few national partnerships between employers and the federal job safety agency, and covers an estimated 80 percent of total workers in the line construction industry.

Main goals of the Partnership include thorough data analysis to establish causes of fatalities, injuries and illnesses; development and implementation of industry best practices; development and delivery of specific training courses; and establishment of effective communication to promote the value and importance of occupational safety and health.

As a member of the Partnership, MYR Group is actively involved in several different safety and health outreach and promotion activities. These include the development of best practices training programs, contributing information and content to the Partnership’s website www.powerlinesafety.org, presenting at major safety conferences, and conducting safety stand-downs.

Specific partnership accomplishments include the implementation of an OSHA-approved ET&D 10-hour training program for electrical power employees and the ET&D 20-hour supervisory leadership program. The 20-hour program emphasizes supervisor and management knowledge and skills development as well as the importance of management involvement and support to maintain an effective safety program.

Results

Since its inception in 2004, the joint efforts of the Partnership have produced positive results. According to data provided by the Partnership participants, the Partnership has successfully reduced fatalities among the member partner organizations, has reduced injury and illness rates, and has conducted numerous training sessions. The Partnership Total OSHA Recordable Rate, Lost Time Rates and DART rates indicate downward trends since the Partnership’s inception, and remain below Bureau of Labor Statistics rates.

Additional Industry Participation

We are an active partner with regulatory and industry agencies working towards improving the safety of electric and telecommunication construction workers across the nation. We participate on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A10 Committee. The A10 Committee develops and publishes standards relating to the protection of employees and the public from hazards associated with construction and demolition operations. These include documents covering the safe use of cranes, derricks, aerial lifts and other equipment used by electrical contractors. The committee also develops standards on more general safety subjects such as lockout/tag out procedures and work in confined spaces.

Several MYR Group employees are members of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the National Safety Council (NSC), the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the Voluntary Protection Program Participants Association (VPPPA).

Community Involvement

MYR Group is actively engaged in promoting safety in the community. Our safety professionals have volunteered their time to speak on college campuses, in apprenticeship training programs and in various safety forums and discussions throughout the nation.

MYR Group has donated safety items and safety gifts, such as cut-resistant gloves to Joint Apprenticeship Education Training Committees (JAETC’s) and carbon monoxide detectors to local fire departments for distribution to underprivileged families.

Personal Certifications and Achievements

MYR Group promotes professional certification and personal career development of safety staff, regularly offering coaching, mentoring and sponsoring of their participation. Several employees have obtained or are in the process of obtaining Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Occupational Safety and Health Technologist (OHST), Construction Safety and Health Technician (CHST), and Safety Trained Supervisor (STS) training and certification through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).